Staple forming and driving machine.



H. WEBER.

STAPLE FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY7, I908.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

4 SHEET8-BHEET 1.

H. WEBER.

STAPLE FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED .IULYT. I908.

Patented Apr. 6, 11915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I KKK U I H. WEBER.

STAPLE FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IULYT. 1908.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

4 SHEETSBHEET 3.

H. WEBER.

STAPLE FORMING AND DRIVING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IULY7, 190a.

1,13%803 Patented. Apr. 6,1915. v

4 sums-91mm 4. %9.

UNTTED TATES PATENT @FFTCE.

HENRY WEBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINQIS, ASSIGNOR T0 LA'IHAM MACHINERY COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STAPLE FOBIVIING' AND DRIVING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, HENRY WEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Staple Formlng and Driving Machines, of which the followbook, or the like, and by means of which staple the article may be hung up, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved means for shaping and holding the staple and for guiding and bending the legsthereof while the staple is being driven.

A further object is to provide an improved support for the staple, and improved means for positioning the support for receiving the staple from the anvil.

A further object is to provide improved means for shifting the support after the staple hasbeen formed and driven, so as to permit the staple to be removed from the machine.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of an improved machine of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 3'3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4; is a detail perspective view of the anvil.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail front elevation partly in section of the staple forming and driving mechanism with some of the parts removed. Fig. Z is a front elevation partly in section of the work support. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the driver. Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line l010 of Fig". 6.- Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail sectional view Specification of Letters Iatcnt. Patented Apr. 5, 1915.,

Application filed July 7, 1908. Serial No. 442,269.

of a portion of the driver and the staple support, showing these parts in position to permit the removal of the staple. Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of the staple former. Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16 are detail views showing the difierent'steps in the formation of the staple. Fig. 17 is a detail sectional view showing the wire clenching members.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and in the presentexemplification of the invention, the numeral 25 designates a suitable back plate or support for the mechanism, and 26 is an operating cam rotatably mounted thereon by means of a suitable shaft 27 to which power may be applied in any suitable or desired manner.

Secured to the back plate or support 25 are spaced guides 28, 29, and slidingly mounted between said guides is astaple former designated generally by the refer ence numeral 30, which is provided with spaced sides 31 to form a channel or groove extending longitudinally thereof, and the lower extremity of the former is bifurcated, as at 32. This former is adapted to be re- .ciprocated in the guides 28, 29 by means of the cam 26 and a suitable connection 33 is rovided between the cam and former which preferably comprises a lateral projection on the former which is adapted to extend into a camgroove 34 in the face of the cam 26.

Supported by the back plate 25 is an anvil designated generally by the reference numeral 35. The body portion of the anvil extends into a suitable bearing 36, and one extremtiy 37 of the anvil is reduced to extend through the bearing, and an elastic member 38, such as a spring or the like surrounds the reduced portion within the bearing to hold the head 39 of the anvil nor mally projected beyond the supporting plate 25 to enter the bifurcation 32 in the former 30 as the latter descends. The head 39 of the anvil is provided with an open groove 40 in the face thereof, which extends transversely of the anvil and is inclined down- .wardly from one end toward the other. The

upper portion of the face of the head 39 ofthe anvil is beveled or cut away, as at 41-, shown more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and one extremity of the edge of the anvil head may be cut awag as at 42.

The former 30 is provi ed with grooves 43 in the inner face of the sidewalls 31 and extend longitudinally of the former for the entire length. A driver 44 is arranged to move within the channel formed by the walls of the former, and this driver is of a width to substantially fill-the channel, and .is provided with longitudinal ribs 45 on the edges thereof which are adapted to enter and move within the grooves 43 in the walls 31 of the former to prevent lateral displacement of the driver with respect to the former 30. The driver is also provided withan offset portion 46 on one face adjacent one extremity thereof to properly position the extremity 47 thereof with respect to the inclined face 41 of the anvil, so that as the driver descends, the extremity 47 will engage the inclined face 41. to move the anvil against the tension of the elastic member 38. The extremity 47 of the driver is arranged on an incline as shown to conform to theincline of the head 40 in the anvil 39, and this extremity 47 is preferably provided with a groove 48 extending the entire length thereof for a purpose to be set forth.

. The driver may be reciprocated in unison with the former 30 in any desired or suitable manner, but preferably from, the cam 26, by means of a link or pitman 49, one extremity of which is connected tothe cam and the other extremity to a projection 50 on the driver 44, which preferably projects from the forward face of the former adjacent the upper extremity thereof.

A staple support comprising two sections 51, 52 hinged together as at 53 is provided with spaced laterally projecting arms 54 which project beyond one, face, preferably the rear face of one of the sections adjacent the upper edge of the staple support, and

this support is arranged to move adjacent the front face of the driver 44, and the staple former is provided with recesses 55 in the outer faces thereof, which are adapted to reeive the laterally projecting arms or extensions 54 so that the laterally -projecting portions 54 will also extend between the guides 28 and 29. The recesses 55 are of a length somewhat greater than the width of the arms or projections 54 so that the staple former will be allowed to reciprocate independently of the staple support, but when the respective shoulders on the staple former which are formed by the recesses 55 .engage the laterally projecting arms 54 of the staple support, the latter will be moved by the staple former fora short ,dis-' tance in either direction, according to the dlrection of movement of the staple former.

A housing 56 is arranged, to extend across the face of the staple support to embrace the support, and said housing may be secured in position to any suitable support, preferably the guides 28, 29 bymeans of suitable fastening devices, such as screws or bolts 57, or the like. This housing 56 is provided with a recess 58 opening through the upper edge thereof, and projecting from the face 1 of one of the sections of the staple support, preferably the section 51, is a lug or extension 59, which extends beyond the front section of the staple support and over the edge of the housing 56, and is provided with a depending arm 60' which is adapted to project into the recess 58, and an elastic member 61, such as a coiled spring or the like is provided for norinallv holding the staple support elevated, and said elastic member 7 is adapted to surround the depending portion 60, with one extremity resting againstthe projection 59 and the other extremity seated Within the recess 58 in the housing 56. The housing 56 is provided with a cut away portion 62 on the inner face thereof to permit free pivotal movement of the section 52 of the staple support away from the latter is retracted by the staple driver 44 in a manner to be set forth.

4 Any suitable means may be provided for normally holding the supporting surface 64 under the anvil head 39. A suitable and efficient means for accomplishing this purpose comprises an elastic member 65, preferably in the form of a leaf spring, one extremity of which is secured as. at 66=to the outer face of the housing 56, and the other extremity projects below the housing and engages the section 52 of the staple support adjacent the free extremity to yieldingly hold the supporting face 64 in position to receive the staple. A

The operation of this portion of the mech- I anism, briefly stated, is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 6 and 10 of the drawings, the wire 67 is fed into the slot 40 of the anvil 39, and in being thus fed will be deflected downwardly,

as shown more clearly in Fig. 6. After a:suf-

ficient amount of Wire has, been fed, the wire will be severed by means of a cutter 68 operatively connected as at 69to the staple former 30, and which cutter coiiperates with a'guide tube 70. As the wire will be first severed by the cutter 68, andthe ends of the severed portion of the wire will be bent or deflected downwardly over the anvil 39 and over the projecting portion 63 of'the staple support. After the legs of the staple have-been-thus bent by the staple former, the driver will begin.

f'brmer 30' descends, the

to move independently of the staple former. As the driver descends, the extremity 47 thereof will engage the inclined face 41 of the anvil head 39 to cause the latter to recede against the tension of the elastic member 38. As the anvil recedes, the staple will be stripped therefrom, and when the anvil has moved out of engagement with the staple, the upper edge of the staple will enter the roove 48 in the extremity 47 of the driver, which latter will force the body portion of the staple downwardly upon the inclined face 64 of the projecting portion 63, and a continued movement of the driver in the same direction will force the legs of the staple throughthe material which is held in position upon the work support. Arranged below the surface of the work support and in the path of movement of the legs of the staple through the material are clencher members 71 which are pivotally supported in suitable guides 72, and are adapted to be operated by means of a suitable plunger 7 3 which receives its motion in any suitable manner through the medium of an operating lever 74 mounted upon the main frame 75 of the machine. As the legs of the staple are forced through the material, these clencher members 71 are adapted to engage the extremities of the legs and bend them toward each other, as shown more clearly in Fig. 16, to form a completed staple 7 6.

When the staple is thus formed, it will be apparent that the staple support, or the projecting extremity 63 thereof, stands within the staple, and in order to permit the staple to be removed, suitable provision must be made for removing the projecting portion or shifting it out of the staple. A simple and eflicient manner of accomplishing this result will now be described.

The hinged section 52 of the staple support is provided on one face with a groove 77 which extends longitudinally thereof, preferably adjacent the center, and terminates short of the end of the section. A dog 78 having an inclined face 79-is supported by the section 52 and is adapted to be normally projected across the slot 77 by means of a suitable elastic member 80, such as a spring or the like. This dog 78 is arranged above the lower extremity of the groove 77 with its inclined face 79 disposed upwardly, and in the path of the downward movement of a projection 81 on the staple driver 44 which projection extends into and substantially fills the groove 77. It will be apparent that whenthe staple driver 44 descends, the projection 81 will engage the inclined face 79 of the dog 78 and move it against the tension of the elastic member 80 to permit the projection 81 to pass. After the projection 8l-has passed the dog 79, the latter will spring back into its normal position. The projection 81 is provided with a rounded or inclined portion 82 on the outer edge thereof, which inclined portion is adapted to engage the in the opposite direction after having passed the dog 79, and will throw or force the pivoted section 52 of the staple support outwardly against the tension of the elastic member 65 and into the position shown in- Fig. 11 of the drawings, and this movement of the hinged section 52 will move the projecting portion 63 out of the staple thus formed to permit the staple to be readily removed as the work is removed from the work support.

The section 51 of the staple support is fixed with relation to the driver 44, and the cut away portion 62 of the housing 56 will permit the free pivotal movement of the section 52. After the projection 81 has passed the dog 78, the elastic member 65 will cause the projection 63 to assume its normal position to receive another staple from the anvil 39.

The staple support is normally held in an elevated position with respect to the work support, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and during the operation of the forming mechanism, the staple former, driver and staple support are adapted to move toward the work so that the staple support and the staple former engage and rest upon the work, but the driver and former move in advance of the staple support, so as to permit the staple to be formed and ejected from the anvil before the staple support moves into engagement with the work. The elastic member 61 normally holds the staple support elevated and in close proximity" to the anvil 39, and will thus hold the staple support until the respective shoulders on the former formed by the recesses 55 engage the projecting portions 54 to bodily move the staple support into engagement with the work and against the tension of the elastic member 61.. When the staple former recedes after the staple is driven, the elastic member 61 will start to raise the staple support out of engagement with the work until the other shoulders formed by the recesses engage the projections 54 on the staple support to raise the latter. Only a limited bodily ,movement is imparted to the staple support, and it is only necessary to raise the latter out of engagement with the work to permit the work to be removed and also to permit the staple support to be again positioned without the danger of tearing or damaging the work, and a suitable stop 83 may be provided for limiting the movement of the staple support.

The wire 84 may be supplied from a suitable spool 85 supported in any manner upon the framework, and passes to the mechanism through a suitable guide 86 into .a gripping member 87 which moves upon dog 79 as the plunger moves I suitable guides 88, and which may be reciprocated on the guides by means of a lever 89 pivoted intermediate its ends, as at 90, with one extremity having engagement with the grippingmember 87 and the other extremity having engagement with the periphery of the cam 26 through the medium of the anti-friction roller 91, so that as the cam 26 rotates, the lever 89 will be oscillated about its pivot 90 to move the gripper 87 on its guides 88 toward and from the forming mechanism to feed the wire thereto.

If desirable, a suitable adjustable gage 92 may be provided for adjusting the mechanism to accommodate wire of different age, but which mechanism forms no part ofthe present invention. A similar gripping member 93 may be provided which is fixed with relation to the forming mechanism and is so arranged as to yield when the gripper 87 advances to draw the wire or feed it to the former, and to grip the wire when the gripper 87 recedes to obtain a new grip upon the wire to feed an additional supply to the staple former, all of which mechanism may be of any ordinary and well known construction. Arranged adjacent the cutter 68 is an additional gripping member 94, which cooperates with a member 95 to hold the wire against receding, and the member 94: may be adjusted against the tension of the elastic holding means 96 by means of an operating arm 97 having engagement with the cutter 68, so that when the cutter is operated in the manner set forth, the gripping member 94 will also be operated. I

The cutting mechanism and the gripping member 93 are mounted upon a suitable sliding member 98 held inposition in any desired or suitable manner, and may be adjusted toward and away from the staple forming mechanism by means of an adjusting rod or bar 99 connected to a suitable projection 100 on the support 98 and an adjusting handle 101, with which latter the bar 99 has a threaded connection, and the handle 101 is rotatably mounted iii a suitable support 102 fixed with relation to the forming mechanism so that when the handle 101 is adjusted, the support 98 may be also adjusted to vary the length of the legs of the staple.

The work support and saddle post may be bodily adjusted toward oraway from the staple mechanism in any ordinary and well known manner, preferably by means of an operating wheel 117, which is connected to a rotatable shaft 118, which latter has a threaded connection with the saddle post 106, so that when the wheel 117 is rotated, the saddle post and wm'k support may be bodily adjusted toward or away from the staple mechanism, according to the direction of rotation'of the wheel.

In order that the invention might be fully understood, the details. of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus specifically described, but

' What I claim as new is:

'1. The combination with a staple forming and driving mechanism, of an anvil cooperating therewith provided with an in-' clined groove in the face thereof arranged to receive a wire and deflect the same transversely of its direction of travel, said deflected portion of the wire formingthe cross bar of the staple, said cross bar being supported by the anvil while being operated upon by the forming mechanism, and means for supporting the cross bar after its disengagement from the anvil and during the driving and clenching operations in a posi tion parallel to that imparted thereto at its deflection by the anvil aforesaid.

2. A machine for forming staples, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former, a staple driver, a staple support for receiving the staple from the anvil, means for clenching the legs of the staple while the latter rests upon the support, and means for moving the support from the staple after. the latter is clenched.

3. A machine for forming staples, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former, a .staple support for receiving the staple from the anvil, a staple driver for forcing the legs of the staple through the material, means for clenching the legs of the staple against the material and around the staple support, and means for withdrawing the said support from the staple.

4. A stapling machine, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former, albodily movable staple support for receiving the staple from the anvil, means for imparting such bodily ,movement to the staple support, a staple driver for forcing the legs of the staple through the material, means for clenching the staple against the material and around the said support, means for imparting movementto the staple forming and driving parts, and means for withdrawing the sup port from the staple.

5. A stapling machine, including 1n combination an anvil, a staple former, a pivotsupported and bodily movable support for receiving the staple from the anvil, elastic means tending normally tohold the support in position to'receive the staple from the anvil, meansfor imparting bodily movement to the support, means for clenchingthe staplearound the support, and means for moving the support about its pivot and against the tension of the elastic means to withdraw the support from the staple after the latter is clenched.

7. A stapling machine, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former and staple driver, means for operating the same, a pivotally supported and bodily movable support for receiving the staple from the anvil, elastic means tending normally to hold the support in position to receive the staple from the anvil, means for imparting bodily movement to the support, means for-clenchingthe staple around the support operatively related to the staple driver, and means for moving the support about its pivot and against the tension of the elastic means to withdraw the support from the staple after the latter is clenched.

8 A stapling bination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former and staple driver, means for operating'the same, a pivotally supported and bodily movable support for receiving the staple from the anvil, means tending normally to hold thesuprport in position to receive the staple, means opera tively related to the staple former for bodily moving the staple support during a portion only of the movement of the staple former, means for bending the legs of the staple around the said support, and means for moving the support about its pivot and against the tension of the said holding means to withdraw the support from the staple after the latter is clenched.

9. A stapling machine, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former and staple driver, means for operating the same, a pivotally supported and bodily movable support for receiving the staple from the anvil, means tending normally to hold the support in position to receive the staple, means operativelyrelated to the staple former for bodily moving the staple support during a portion only of the movement of the staple former, means for bending the legs of the staple around the said support, and means a for automatically withdrawing the support formed, a staple former,

from the staple after the latter is clenched.

10. A stapling machine, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is a support for receiving the staple from the anvil, a staple driver, means for operating the staple forming and driving parts, and cooperating machine, including in commeans on the driver and the support for shifting the support with respect to the driver When the'latter is moved in one directionwith respect to the support, said means a l'so permitting the driver to move in the opposite direction'without shifting the support; I

11 A stapling: machine, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former, a support for receiving the staple from the anvil, a staple driver, means'for'operating the staple torming an'd driving parts, cooperating means on thedriver' and the support for shifting the support with respect to the driver when the latter is moved in one direction with respect to the support, said means also permitting the driver to move in the opposite direction withoutshifting the support, and means for returning-the: support after the" latter has been shifted; by the driver.

12. Jar-stapling machine, including in combination an 'an'v-il' over which the staple is formed, astaple former, means for moving the same, a pivoted and bodily movable support-for receiving the staple, a staple driver, one of the two last mentioned elements being provided with a slot and the other with a. projection extending-into and movable within'theslot', means for moving the last mentionedelemenm-withrespect to each other, and yielding means supported by one of the said last mentioned elements and extending into the said slot in the path of movement of the said projection, whereby the projection will engage and pass the said means when its respective element is bodily moved, and said yielding means being adapted to be engaged by said projection to move the support about its pivot when the projection carrying element is moved in the opposite direction.

13. A stapling machine, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former, means for moving the same, a staple driver, a pivoted staple support for receiving the staple from the anvil, means tending normally to hold the support adjacent the anvil, said driver being provided with a projection and said support being provided with a slot to receive the projection, means for moving the driver with respect to the support, and a member projecting-into the slot in the path of movement of said projection, said member being arranged to yield when engaged by the prorection, and to be engaged by the projection to cause the latter to move the support about its pivot and away from the anvil when the driver moves in the opposite direction.

14;. A stapling machine, including in combination an anvil over which the staple is formed, a staple former, means for moving the same, a staple driver, a pivoted staple ection when the driver is moving in one di- I I projection during the movement of thelatter in one direction to permit the projection to pass, and said projection being provided with a beveled face arranged to engage and ride 'overtlie dog when the driver moves in the opposite direction to shift the staple support about its pivot and away from the anvil. I 15. In a device of the character described,

vthe combination with means for inserting staples into the material to be stapled, of spacing means adapted to be inserted between said material and said staples during the insertion of the latter, and means for I withdrawing said spacing means from the staples after the completionpf the stapling operation. 1

16. In a device of the character described, the combination with means for inserting staples into the material to be stapled, .of a spacing member adapted to be tweensaid staple and said material at the time of inserting said staple therein, and

means operated by the retraction of the groove extending longia. stapling head, a driver the crown ofsaid staples said spacing means from said staples.

inserted be- I staple inserting mechanism for withdrawing said spacing member from said staple.

In a machine of the character described, the combination of a work support, carried thereby and movable toward and from said support, means for supplying wire staples to said driver, means removably interposed between the driver and the work su port for spacing rom the work on said support, and means operated during the retraction 'of said driver for withdrawing 18. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a stapling head having staple supplying and attaching means, a pivoted member carried by said means and having a tongue adapted to .be included between said staple and the work while said staple is being inserted, and means actuated by the\ return movement ofthe stapling means for withdrawing said tonguefrom said staple. 1

In'testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on th1s27th day of June A. D. 1908.

HENRY WEBER Witnesses: I i I J. H. JooHuM, Jr.,'

C. H. SEEM. 

